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Testing mixed driven shooting in the wild and rugged landscape of County Clare, with a healthy dose of Irish hospitality, within easy reach of Shannon Airport.

Testing mixed driven shooting in the wild and rugged landscape of County Clare, with a healthy dose of Irish hospitality, within easy reach of Shannon Airport.

John, owner and gamekeeper at the Mulberry Shoot has a very simple philosophy - if you take day’s shooting from him, you’re the boss. He’ll structure days according to your wishes, tailoring drives and bags to suit all skill levels and wallets. Average bags are around the 300 mark, and can include duck, partridge and pheasant according to the time of year and your requirements.

But Mulberry is not for the faint-hearted - this is no manicured parkland shoot. Just 10 minutes as the crow flies from the Atlantic Ocean, this shoot was eeked, from scratch - from the boggy, heathery land, by John’s own hands. It may not have the deep valleys of Devon, but the rocky topography has enough interesting features to produce birds to challenge even the most experienced shot. John’s onsite game-rearing operation and feeding programmes ensure that there’s a good number of strong, healthy birds sure to fly strongly. Powerful Atlantic winds complete the package - this is what John calls ‘real’ shooting.

But there’s more to a day’s shooting than the sport, and Mulberry won’t disappoint. John’s partner Margaret is in change of that side of the operation. Cosy Keeper’s Cottage is the venue for stunning meals, hand-picked wines, and is the perfect place to relax after a day’s exciting sport and share a few tall tales. For John and Margaret, no matter their love for the sport, their favourite part of running a shoot day is the chance to interact with their guests and make them feel at home, right down to the Shoot Captain’s Chair at the dining table. The service is unfussy, warm and charming.

How to sum it up? As one recent guest says: “Mulberry is mad and magic.”

John Forde’s life in fieldsports began when he became involved in gundog fieldtrials, something that saw him take his dogs picking up on the private shoots across Ireland From there he became involved in the burgeoning syndicate shooting industry.

He began to build Mulberry Shoot about five years ago and it has gone from strength to strength. He’s tremendously proud of his work, coaxing a shoot out of nothing in the wilds of western Ireland. He’s a living embodiment of the term ‘Irish Hospitality, and Margaret and John love hosting teams of guns from around the world, taking pride in offering a warm welcome and showing their guests a memorable day of challenging driven shooting.

Typical day at Mulberry Shoot

You’re normally on your pegs around 9.30 am, having met for a briefing and to draw pegs earlier that morning. A typical day produces a mixed bag of around 300 birds, shooting pheasants, partridges and duck. Elevenses are served in the field between drives, and lunch is taken back at Keeper’s Cottage midway through the day, though it is also possible to shoot through and lunch later in the day.

With Shannon airport just 30 minutes away, John can make arrangements for those flying in and out on the same day.

We can take care of your gun permit or hire applications, arrange local accommodation, transport etc. just ask! For more information on permits and travelling with fire arms, click here.

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Other Things to Do in Connolly, Ireland

County Clare is packed with historic towns to visit, as well as picturesque coastal villages. For landscape lovers there’s the remarkable Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, a UNESCO site, which consists of some incredible geology, archaeology and natural history. There’s also the Wild Atlantic Way to explore, and a host of adventure sports to try.

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Reviews

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I have known John since the early 1990s when he judged retriever trials for the club of which I was secretary. He was reliable, courteous and a fair judge always drawing on extensive knowledge of w...
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As a regular visitor from the USA to the UK to shoot and having shot a total of 4 days now at the Mulberry shoot I can honestly say it is some of the finest shooting I have experienced coupled with...
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Species quality and density

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I was very lucky to be invited to the "Mulberry Shoot" by a close friend over 5 years ago. I had no idea of what lay ahead on my day out . We arrived at 9.30, John, Margaret and the team gave us a ...
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Species quality and density

How well was your event organised

How good was service and hospitality

Beauty of the destination

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I had the pleasure of taking a day out at Mulberry Shoot with a team of colleagues. From the moment we arrived we were treated to a fantastic experience. The hospitality and shooting were top class...
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Species quality and density

How well was your event organised

How good was service and hospitality

Beauty of the destination

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I have enjoyed watching the evolution of the Mulberry shoot from its early faltering steps to a world class facility. John always goes the extra mile to ensure an enjoyable day for every gun. The c...
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Species quality and density

How well was your event organised

How good was service and hospitality

Beauty of the destination

Value for money

As regular guest and shoot party host at Mulberry for several years I highly recommend this superb and incredible value venue. John and Margaret run one of the most welcoming and finest shoot exper...
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Species quality and density

How well was your event organised

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Beauty of the destination

Value for money

We have now been to Mulberry twice and are already counting the days to next season. It is a cracking shoot with some challenging flighted ducks and a variety of fun pheasant drives, usually accomp...
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Species quality and density

How well was your event organised

How good was service and hospitality

Beauty of the destination

Value for money

I have had the good fortune to experience the Mulberry Shoot in each of the last three years. One would not know this shoot has been operating on a commercial basis for less than 5 years. There are...
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Species quality and density

How well was your event organised

How good was service and hospitality

Beauty of the destination

Value for money

From the moment we made our booking we were treated to a five star experience in Mulberry. Everything was taken care of, from our first class accommodation to our travel and the most wonderful uniq...
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Rating

Species quality and density

How well was your event organised

How good was service and hospitality

Beauty of the destination

Value for money

Having used the services of Mulberry Game Shoot earlier this year I was amazed at the high standards delivered by John, Margaret and their team. We were a party of seven and I must say it was one o...
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